India has provided financial support, helped with capacity building through the Pacific Small Island Developing States (PSIDS) and the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI). However, a sustained political engagement and partnership has been lacking – the leader-level FIPIC meet was last held in 2015. India’s role as a flag bearer of the global south dovetails with its leadership in climate action. Therefore, engagement with Pacific island nations needs to be seen as the other ‘coast’ of New Delhi’s Indo-Pacific rubric as a whole.
For India to take on a more active role in this expanded Indo-Pacific, it has to rely on an out-of-the-box approach. Traditional foreign policy priorities will not serve when it comes to these small island nations existentially threatened by global warming. What gives India the edge over other countries is its partnership approach, building human and physical capacity with a focus on climate change and adaptation, clean energy, and capacity building when supplemented with historical ties.
